MARIE LIEN & HENRY GUSTAFSON

Henry and Marie were my Great Aunt and Uncle and although I barely remember Marie, my memories of Uncle Henry are clear and loving. He was the one who sponsored my Mother and I so we could come to the States from Canada. It was Uncle Henry who took us in when we arrived and cared for us until my Mother found work and we could get a home of own own. Uncle Henry got her a job where he worked and she worked there until she retired 25 years later.
Back then our milk was delivered in bottles and on one particular day Uncle Henry went out to the porch to bring the bottles in and slipped and fell, seriously cutting his hands. As a child I was terrified by the blood of which there was alot and horrified to see my beloved Uncle in such dire straits. The cuts looked worse than they were though and he mended. I remember Grandma and Mama, Uncle Henry and I all sitting in the parlor in the evenings listning to the radio, my favorite, although not his was the "Shadow". If I remember right, he liked the fights.......
There was a lot of broken English in that house, his Swedish, and Gramdma's Norwegian but they spoke very clearly when it came to love.

Frans Henrik was commonly known as Henry in America.
1874 Frans Henrik's first home was called "Stromsholm". The family moved
from there in 1875 to Nassjo.
1876 The family moved to Boxholm and their home was called "Strensholm". It was a large white plastered house with a stone fence in front along the highway. They built this fence with rocks gathered from the yard. The long building on the north side is where his father had his shoe shop. That is where Frans Henrik and his brothers learned the trade. In 1953 the house was still standing. In 1975 the main house was gone and only a small house at the side remained. Asta (Gunnar's wife) said it simply fell apart.
1893 On 5 July, Frans Henrik immigrated to America through New York.
1893 - 1895 Frans worked for the F.W. Johnson Co. in White Rock, SD.
In 1896 Frans attended Archibald's Business College in Minneapolis, MN. 1896 - 1897, he worked as a bookkeeper for R. Finley & Co. in Gilby, ND. On 7 May 1897 he filed and intent to become a citizen of the USA in Ramsey County, ND.
On 12 July 1900, a Declaration of Citizenship was issued in Roberts County, SD under the name of Henry Gustafson. Listed in the 1900 Census for White rock, SD, Henry was living with his brother Ivar and a friend named Soleman Oscarson. Mr. Oscarson owned a store in White Rock.
1901 a son was born and died at birth. In White Rock, Henry was part owner of the Globe Clothing Store. His partner was C. P. Johnson.
1905 son Henry (called Hank) was born. Marie was very ill after this birth. The doctors thought she might die and all the family was gathered together. At this time, Marie was 35 years old.
1910 Henry sold his share in the Globe Clothing Store to his partner.
According to the Bill of Sale dated 2 April 1910, the following accounting was made: Assets $4,019.44; 50% to Johnson $2,009,72; liabilities $1997.22; paid to Marie Gustafson: only $12.50. The family followed Henry to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada and lived at 1137 Second Avenue Northwest. Henry worked as a bookkeeper or accountant for Gray-Campbell Ltd. in Moose Jaw.
1912 A son, Roy William, was born on 24 November. His sister Anna remembers that it was on a Sunday. She heard some crying in the night which sounded like a kitten. In the morning, she asked her father about the new kitten. He said, "that's not a kitten, it's your new baby brother". Marie was now 42 years old. Anna also remembers that her mother went totally blind from uremic poisioning just before Roy was born, but was alright after the birth.
1918 The family moved to Seattle, WA. Mother, Roy, Anna, and Hank arrived at Blaine, WA 26 August by train, Frans Henrik (Henry) having preceded them to Seattle. Henry worked as an accountant for the Rainier Brewery and then Schwabacher Hardware Co. until he retired in 1939.
1947 Marie died in Seattle, age 77. Henry lived with Marie's sister, Oline Flanders until she died in 1953. At the time of his death, he was living with his daughter, Anna Gustafson Bristol at 4936 South 114th Street in Seattle.
1956 Henry started failing on 25 September. He was taken to the hospital on 2 October where he died on 8 October. He was 82 years old. The following obituary notice in the Seattle times was dated 9 October 1956; "...Also surviving him were his sons, Henry M. Gustafson, Seattle; Col. R. W. Gustafson, Washington, D. C.; stepchildren G. I. Syverson, Seattle; O. H. Syverson, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; and Mrs J. C. Hagen, Redmond. He had 10 grandchildren and 6 great granchildren". Henry is buried at the Evergreen Cemetery in Seattle.
His granddaughter Nanna GUSTAFSON CRABILL wrote that her strongest memories of him are his laughing brown eyes, little moustache and teaching her songs in Swedish when she was a child.